Laterally resiliently displaceable stop for relatively movable elements



Feb. 1, 1955 w. HENNELLY 2,700,783

LATERALLY RESILIENTLY DISPLACEABLE STOP FOR RELATIVELY MOVABLE ELEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1954 INVENTOR.

6 4 1 WALTEQ L. HENNELLY BY A. W

Feb. 1, 1955 w L HENNELLY 2,700,788

LATERALLY RES'IL'IENTLY DISPLACEABLE STOP FOR RELATIVELY MOVABLE ELEMENTS Filed March 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WALTER L. HENNELLY United States Patent LATERALLY RESHJIENTLY DISPLACEABLE STOP FDR RELATIVELY MOVABLE ELEMENTS Walter L. Hennelly, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 22, 1954, Serial No. 417,869

4 Claims. (CI. 16-86) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a stop of the type adapted to stop the relative movement of two relatively movable elements, such as a door and a wall effectively pivotally mounting the door with respect thereto, or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to such a stop which is effective for stopping relative motion of the relatively movable elements by means of receiving impact of one of said relatively movable elements in virtually axial relationship with respect to the stop, and yet to allow ready lateral displacement of the stop with respect to its mounting, when desired to facilitate access into spatial regions closely adjacent to the stop, which would normally not be convgniently accessible if the stop were not laterally displacea le.

Generally speaking, the improved stop of the present invention includes a base cooperable to be fixed to one of a pair of relatively movable elements. The base is provided with a projecting stud having exterior peripheral groove means (in at least one form of the invention, exterior thread means). Also included is a longitudinal helically coiled spring having a first end cooperable with the stud and the groove means (in at least one form, the thread means) thereon to receive said first end of said spring in exterior encompassing relationship with respect to said stud with a portion of said first end of said spring received in said groove means (in at least one form,

thread means) and with the major portion of the spring projecting outwardly from the base for axial impact with the other of said relatively movable elements.

In one preferred generic form of the invention, an impact head of yieldable material (such as rubber, or the like) may be provided with a recess extending thereinto. In this form of the invention, the spring means may be provided with an outer second end and impact head engaging means adapted to be engaged within said recess to effectively mount said impact head with respect to said outer end of said spring. In a preferred form, said outer second end may comprise a radially enlarged flange, and said recessed impact head may be provided with an in terior peripheral shoulder, said recessed impact head being effectively cooperable with the outer second end of the spring for resilient encompassing engagement thereover with said shoulder firmly engaging and retaining the enlarged portion of the outer end of the spring.

From the above description of the basic, and preferred generic form of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that virtually all of the hereinbefore-mentioned prior art disadvantages are virtually entirely eliminated and overcome in and through the use of the present invention.

For example, it is obvious that the stop of the present invention will be fully effective with respect to axially received impact, while at the same time allowing easy resilient lateral displacement of the outer end of the stop to facilitate access into adjacent regions.

Furthermore, it is obvious that the present invention is of exceedingly simple, cheap construction capable of easy assembly and disassembly (and, therefore, of size and type adjustment).

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved laterally resiliently displaceable stop for relatively movable elements which is of exceedingly simple, cheap, easy-to-assemble, and easy-to-disassemble, and size and type adjustable construction.

Other and allied objects will be apparent to those skilled 2,700,788 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 in the art after a careful perusal, examination and study of the accompanying drawing, the present specification and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinbelow-described drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the impact head illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 shown in completely assembled relationship.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the outer end of the spring with the impact head mounted thereon.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the inner end of the spring mounted on the stud.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a slightly modified form of base for fastening the device to a wall, as viewed from the same angle as Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrative of a slightly modified form of the present invention, as viewed from the same angle as Fig. 1.

Generally speaking, the present invention includes a base cooperable to be fixed to one of several relatively movable elements (such as a portion of wall adjacent a hinged door, for example). The base is provided with a projecting stud having exterior peripheral groove means (in the illustrated form of the invention, comprising exterior thread means).

In the specific example illustrated, the base is indicated generally at 1 and includes threaded fastening means 2 adapted to be threadedly engaged within a portion of a wall 3 (as best shown in Fig. 3) whereby to outwardly project the stud 4, which, in this case, bears groove means comprising exterior threads 5. The threaded engagement of the fastening means 2 in the wall 3 may be facilitated by cooperably associating a slot 13 in the head of the stud 4 with the end of a screw driver, or the like, for applying torque to the fastening means 2.

Also, generally speaking, the present invention includes a longitudinal helically coiled spring having a first end cooperable with the stud and the groove means thereon whereby said stud will receive said first end of said spring in exterior encompassing relationship with respect to said stud with a portion of said first end of said spring received in said groove means and with the major portion of the spring projecting outwardly from the base to be positioned to receive axial impact of the other of said relatively movable elements.

In the specific example illustrated, said longitudinal helically coiled spring is indicated generally at 6, and the first end thereof is indicated at 7. In the form illustrated, the first end 7 is adapted to be threadedly screwed and engaged with respect to the threads 5 carried by the stud 4 to effectively mount the spring 6 in an outwardly projecting position. This is best shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5.

In one preferred general form of the present invention, an impact head of yieldable material such as rubber, or the like, may be provided with a recess extending thereinto, and said spring may be provided with an outer second end and impact head engaging means adapted to be engaged within said recess to effectively mount said impact head with respect to said outer end of said spring.

In the specific form illustrated, said second outer end of the spring is radially enlarged, as indicated at 8, to effectively comprise a flange. In the embodiment illustrated, the rubber impact head is indicated generally at 9 and includes a recess 10 and an interior peripheral shoulder 11 immediately adjacent entry port 12 into the recess 10. In the example illustrated, the enlarged head 8 is adapted to be resiliently engaged within the recess 10 with the interior peripheral shoulder 11 firmly engaging and retaining the radially enlarged portion 8 of the spring in the relationship best shown in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 4.

The operation of the device may be briefly described as follows:

It is obvious that when the device is mounted as shown in Fig. 3, it is well adapted to receive impact of a moving door, or the like, on the impact head 9 if the force component involved is virtually axial with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spring 6. However, it is also obvious that the outer end 8 of the spring (and the impact head 9) can be laterally deflected with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spring 6, whenever desired.

It is also obvious that the impact head can be readily disengaged, when desired, to allow replacement by a different size or a diflerent type of impact head. It is also obvious that the spring 6 can be rapidly and easily disengaged from the stud 4, when desired, to allow replacement by a different size and/or type or" spring.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All such properly within the basic spirit and scope of the present invention, are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated and claimed herein.

For example, the means for attaching the base means to one of the relatively movable elements (usually a portion of a wall) may be modified substantially. ln at least one form of the present invention, this may comprise suction cup means, such as is more specifically described, illustrated and claimed in my copending patent application filed October 6, 1954, Serial No. 460,525. For clarity, one illustrative embodiment of such a modified suction-cup-type of base is illustrated in Pi g. 6, wherein parts similar to those described hcreinbefore and illustrated in the other figures will be indicated by the same reference numerals, primed however. In this modification of the present invention, the base 1' is adapted to carry flexible suction cup means, indicated generally at 29, cooperable to be removably afiixed to the wall 3'. Said base 1' does not have the circumferential flange shown in the first form of the present invention, and the screw means 2' does not comprise a tapered wood screw but rather a bluntended screw adapted to threadedly engage and screw into an interiorly threaded insert 30 carried in an extension 31 fastened to the suction cup portion 32 of the suction cup means 29. Various other attaching means may also be employed.

Also, it should be noted that the stud and groove means for engaging the first end of the spring may be modified substantially within the spirit of the present invention. One such modification, not to be taken in a limiting sense, would comprise said peripheral groove means not taking the form of thread means but merely, peripheral groove means adapted to resiliently engage the first end of said spring. Fig. 7 illustrates such a modified arrangement. In said Fig. 7, parts similar to those described hereinbefore and illustrated in the other figures will be indicated by the same reference numerals, doubly primed however. In this modification, the grooves carried by the stud 4" do not comprise a continuous helical thread, such as the thread 5 shown in Figs. 1 and 5--but instead comprise a plurality of similar individual peripheral grooves positioned along the stud 4 in closely adjacent relationship and with each groove disconnected from each other groove. In other words, the grooves 5" may be said to comprise a plurality of individual grooves (usually of annular configuration and usually slightly inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stud 4") instead of a continuous helical thread. Various other attaching arrangements for effectively connecting the first end of the spring and the stud may also be employed within the basic spirit and scope of the present invention.

It should also be noted that the slot 13 at the end of stud 4 may be eliminated entirely. The elimination of the slot 13 is illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein the projecting end of the stud 4" does not bear such a slot.

The outer second end of the spring and impact head engaging means adapted to be engaged within the recess of the impact head may assume several forms other than the ones specifically described and illustrated. For example, instead of the outer end of the spring being provided with an effective flange adapted for insertion into the recess in the impact head, said outer end of the spring may engage a second stud in virtually the same manner as the first end of the spring engages the first stud; said second stud being provided with an enlarged flange portion adapted to be inserted into and engage the impact head. This version of the invention is more specifically described, illustrated and claimed in my copending patent application filed October 6, 1954, Serial No. 460,525. This is generically illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the second outer end of the spring is not radially enlarged at 8", in the manner of first form of the present invention, but is adapted to be engaged with respect to the impact head 9" of yieldable material either directly by insertion thereinto or through the medium of a connecting element indicated generally at 18, which is provided with an impact head engaging extension 19 and a projecting stud 21, which, in the example illustrated is provided with exterior grooves or threads 22 adapted to engage the outer end 8" of a helical spring 6" to effectively mount the connecting element 18 and the impact head 9" at the outer end of the spring 6".

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relative positionings, and cooperative relationships of the various component parts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modified substantially within the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiment of the present invention specifically described and illustrated herein is exemplary only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. An improved laterally resiliently displaecable stop for a movable element, comprising: a base cooperable to be fixed to a stationary element, said base being provided with a projecting stud having exterior peripheral groove means; a longitudinal helically coiled spring having a first helically coiled end cooperablc with the stud and the groove means thereon to mount said first helically coiled end of said spring in exterior encompassing relationship with respect to said stud and therealong with a portion of said first helically coiled end of said spring received in said groove means and with the major portion of the spring projecting outwardly from the base for axial impact by a movable element; an impact head of yieldable material provided with a recess extending thereinto; said spring being provided with an outer. second end and impact head engaging means adapted to be engaged within said recess to effectively mount said impact head with respect to said outer end of said spring.

2. An improved laterally resiliently displaceable stop for a movable element, comprising: a base cooperable to be fixed to a stationary element, said base being provided with a projecting stud having exterior thread means; a longitudinal helically coiled spring having a first helically coiled end cooperable with the stud and the thread means thereon to thrcadedly mount and engage said first helically coiled end of said spring in resilient encompassing concentric relationship along said stud with the major portion of the spring projecting outwardly from the base for axial impact by a movable element; an impact head of yicldable material provided with a recess extending thereinto; said spring being provided with an outer second end and impact head engaging means adapted to be engaged within said recess to effectively mount said impact head with respect to said outer end of said spring.

3. An improved laterally resiliently displaceablc stop for a movable element. comprising: a base cooperable to be fixed to a stationary element, said base being provided with a projecting stud having exterior peripheral groove means; a longitudinal helically coiled spring having a first end cooperable with the stud and the groove means thereon to mount said first end of said spring in exterior encompassing relationship with respect to said stud with a portion of said first end of said spring received in said groove means and with the major portion of the spring projecting outwardly from the base for axial impact by a movable etement; said sprin being provided with a flange comprising an outer radially enlarged second end; and an impact head of yieldable material provided with a recess extending thereinto having an interior peripheral shoulder. said recessed impact head being effectively cooperahlc with the outer second end of the spring for resilient encompassing engagement thereover with said shoulder firmly engaging and retaining the radially enlarged portion of the outer end.

4. An improved laterally resiliently displaceable stop for a movable element. comprising: a base cooperable to be fixed'to a stationary element, said base being provided with a projecting stud having exterior thread means; a longitudinal helically coiled spring having a first end cooperable with the stud and the thread means thereon to threadedly mount and engage said first end resilient encompassing engagement thereover with said of said spring with the major portion of the spring proshoulder firmly engaging and retaining the radially enjecting outwardly from the base for axial impact by a larged portion of the outer end.

movable element; said spring being provided with a flange comprising an outer radially enlarged second end; and 5 References Cited in the file of this patent an impact head of yieldable material provided with a UNITED STATES PATENTS recess extending thereinto having an interior peripheral shoulder, said recessed impact head being effectively 2,462,174 Flsher Feb. 22, 1949 cooperable with the outer second end of the spring for 

